New York City is being observed closer then ever: Mayor Bloomberg Sworn In for Third Term

New York City

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Vowing to avoid any signs of complacency, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg pledged in his third inaugural address Friday to shake up his administration, ordering that the top deputy in every agency spend time running another department.

The mayor made his comments on a day of historic magnitude. He became only the fourth man to lay claim to a third term in New York City history, and the first since Edward I. Koch, who attended the ceremony at City Hall. And he shared the stage with the city’s new comptroller, John C. Liu, the first Asian-American to win citywide office, and the new public advocate, Bill de Blasio.

But the mayor, who is hardly regarded as having an introspective personality, was clearly trying to address concerns about a stagnant administration more than eight years after first taking office as a billionaire businessman and novice politician.

And Mr. Bloomberg, in uncharacteristic fashion, struck a more humble chord, saying that having been granted another four years was a “special opportunity.”

Mr. Bloomberg’s tone suggested a tacit appreciation for the resentment from many New Yorkers over the way that Mr. Bloomberg, an independent who ran as a Republican, spent more than $102 million — a record-shattering amount — to win by a surprisingly small margin in November. So Mr. Bloomberg promised to “reach out to every community” in tackling difficult issues, during difficult economic times.

“I realize, too, that the building behind me is yours — and the job in front of me is to listen and to lead,” he said, referring to City Hall.

He offered only one concrete new idea, saying he wanted to keep his deputy commissioners on their toes by moving them around different agencies for three weeks, and then asking them to report directly to him “to break down the bureaucratic barriers that all too often impede innovation, compromise customer service and cost taxpayers money.”

“Commissioners: This is not someone looking over your shoulder, but a member of our team — your team — who can be an invaluable resource in finding new ways to do the job better,” Mr. Bloomberg said. “And Deputy Commissioners out there: this is not a game of musical chairs, This is a management challenge, and a unique opportunity for collaboration and innovation.”

He added, “And as I tell everyone I hire: don’t screw it up.”

Mr. Bloomberg’s speech lasted just under 14 minutes _ the shortest of his three. And under gray skies but in relatively warm weather compared to past mayoral inaugurations, Mr. Bloomberg touched on a few other issues too: promising to cobble together a national bi-partisan coalition to push for comprehensive immigration reform; promising to help put together a comprehensive service for small businesses in a manner similar to 311; and promising to do more on housing and jobs.